Object of the Week August 20th, 2017 – NGC 7217

NGC7217
UGC11914
PGC68096
CGCG 494-2

Pegasus

Galaxy

RA 22 07 52.4
DEC 31 21 33
Mag 11.0

Size 3.9 x 3.2

Class (R)SA(r)ab

(sorry for the brevity. I am traveling for the eclipse and have limited internet connectivity)

NGC7217 was discovered in 1784 by William Herschel using his 18.7” speculum mirrored reflector giving it the notation “easily resolved”. Many online reports mark this object as “dim”, I feel it’s quite the opposite and makes for a fine view in an eyepiece.

NGC 7217 is a face on unbarred spiral 50Mly away in the constellation of Pegasus. Though its most outermost ring is the most prominent, NGC7217 actually contains 3 rings, 2 more inside the visible outer ring we can see in our scopes. Mind you, I’ve never seen the ring itself nor do I know of any reports. It is very disk like visually appearing much like a face on. In the eyepiece, the galaxy isn’t particularly difficult offering a very stellar like core with a dim halo. In larger scopes there can be some mottling that is observable in the outer disk/ring.

Give it a go and let us know!

NGC-7217_VT_EU.jpg

NGC-7217-by-Adam-Block.jpg